Is Your Pet Healthy?
How can you tell if your pet is healthy, and what can you do to improve her health?
The number one sign to watch out for is weight gain. This is because owners get into very bad habits of giving treats too frequently. Most store-bought treats are not rich in nutrients and are not at all healthy for your animal. Treats should be used in cases where your pet has done something to really impress you and you should think about alternative reward methods, reducing the amount of treats you are feeding your pet, or buying healthier treats to avoid over-treating.
Another reason for weight gain in pets is overfeeding. I am not talking about treats, I am talking about regular dog food. Most owners leave their pet’s food sitting out all day for her to eat when and however much she wants. This is not a good habit to get into. You won’t have any idea how much food she is consuming in a day if you don’t regulate it.
Pay attention to the serving size on the side of the package and follow guidelines from your veterinarian. Your vet may recommend that you purchase “diet” food to help shed pounds if your animal is obese. Listen to your vet, their job is to help your pet stay healthy!
The final contributor to your pet’s health I am going to talk about is exercise. If your animal does nothing all day long but eat, sleep, and go to the bathroom…..it’s no wonder she is gaining weight! There is no reason your pet shouldn’t get plenty of exercise every single day. If you have a dog (depending on what breed and size she is), she needs to be walked for at least 30 minutes every day. If your dog is high-energy, you should strongly think about a longer walk, or two 30 minute walks throughout the day.
You should take your pet to the vet every year for a check-up. This is incredibly important for her health simply for the fact that if there is anything wrong with her, the vet can catch (and treat) it before it gets worse. Your vet will be able to tell you what a healthy weight is for your animal, and if she shows any signs whatsoever of an illness.
You can keep an eye out of some things at home such as her behavior and general habits. But you are not a replacement for a vet. If you feel there is anything wrong with her at all, do not hesitate to call your vet, or take her in to be seen. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Now, what can you do to help your pet stay healthy throughout her life?
- Make sure she is not overfed treats – NO MATTER WHAT!
- Make sure her food supply is regulated by you, follow the correct serving amounts either directly from the package or by asking your vet.
- GIVE HER PLENTY OF EXERCISE!! I cannot stress how important this is to her health. Take her out for walks, play with her, take her to animal parks, I promise you will see improvements in your health as well!!!
- Take her to the vet for regular check-ups. This is especially important as your dog ages. There are many complications that can result if your vet does not catch a problem in time.
- Pay attention to your pet’s habits and if she doesn’t seem to be acting like herself, call your vet. Dogs do not have voices, so they use their behavior and mannerisms to communicate with us. We just have to be smart enough to pay attention to them.
I hope you have found this post to be informative, and that you will take my advice to heart.
Thanks for reading! As always, your participation in comments and discussions is encouraged and greatly appreciated!!